FARM YARD. 97 



that kindliness of feeling which almost deprives 

 labour of its burthen, and cheers the peasant during 

 the performance of his daily task. 



The characters I have attempted to describe, in 

 addition to a few other persons of respectability, met 

 together in my younger days, at an old fashioned 

 farmhouse, standing by the side of a deep stream, 

 and belonging to a wealthy farmer and miller, for the 

 purpose of perch fishing, and playing at bowls. 

 This house was the very picture of neatness and 

 comfort. It was built of grey sandstone, having 

 windows which projected a little, and it was covered 

 >vith roses, creepers of various sorts, and an old 

 vine, all carefully trained, and which gave it a 

 cheerful appearance. Numerous stacks of various 

 sorts, and of a portly size, were seen on one side 

 of the house, and amongst them turkies, geese, 

 ducks, fowls and pigs, revelled in the utmost luxury. 

 On one side, a small terrace was raised just above 

 the stream, having a fishing-house at one end of it, 

 and opposite the house was a well kept bowling- 

 green. Here a club, consisting of the persons I 

 have referred to, and who rented the miller's 

 stream, met once a fortnight during the summer, 

 to enjoy the diversion of perch fishing, for which 

 the river was celebrated, or if they thought proper, 

 to vary the amusement, by playing at the healthy 

 and animating game of bowls. 



The worthy miller had allowed the club to be 



